The ramblings of an airman
by Paperboxgirl
Summary: A series of one shots with mostly Alek and Deryn, will update when inspiration strikes.
1. Ugly

Authors Note:

Based off the song Ugly by 2NE1, which Scott just posted on his blog.

Disclaimer: Not Scott

Deryn stared spitefully at her reflection in the dingy mirror. She tugged at her short locks of dirty blond hair, wishing they were long and shiny like Lilit's. Her dull blue eyes stared at her in the mirror, and Deryn thought of Lilit's shining hazel eyes. She stared hopelessly at her figure, wishing she had curves like Lilit's. No wonder Alek liked her. Lilit was beautiful, unlike the plain figure reflected in the mirror. Alek, even if he knew her secret, would never love her.


	2. End of the World

Author's Note:I started this story a few months ago when Harold Camping predicted the so-called end of the world, but never got around to finishing it. So here it is. And SPOILER: the world did not in fact end in 1914 ;) Also the timeline's probably not right. Sorry!

Disclaimer: I doubt Scott Westerfeld is a 13 year old girl.

They said it was the end of the world. The end days. Armageddon. The rapture. They called it a lot of things, but to Alek and Deryn, it was just one thing. Well actually, in later years they described it a lot of ways. Vibrant. Irrational. Wild. Senseless. Crazy. The best night of their life. Although that night was little more than a drunken haze, both agreed it to be unforgettable. It had all started with the Leviathan's stop in New York City. The city was a storm, everyone buzzing with the rumors of the end of the world. Many believed it, many others disregarded it as nothing more than the media creating hype to sell newspapers. Deryn was skeptical, but Alek, the ninny he was, believed it. But Alek wasn't the only crew member scared. Newkirk, along with several other crew members, fully believed the end of the world was here.

"Just think about it Deryn!" Alek would exclaim to her, eyes shining. "It makes sense!"

"Aye, but it's a bit like Newkirk and bathing." Deryn paused to grin wickedly. "Never gonna happen!"

Alek, in spite of himself, laughed at that, and soon their conversation was forgotten in the laughter. But the night before the supposed "end of world" it came up again, as the crew members were granted the evening off. This time, Alek was truly worried.

"What if it does happen?" he fretted.

"Well then…we'd better make the best of the time we have left." Deryn said mischievously. And the rest is, as they say, history.

Note: I have horrible writers block! Please read and leave prompts and reviews.


	3. Ipod Shuffle Challenge

Author's Note: I did this a few weeks ago and just got around to uploading it. Let me know if you want me to expand on any of these. :)

Disclaimer: My name is not Scott Westerfeld

1. Today was a Fairytale- Taylor Swift

Deryn sighed, collapsing onto her bed, exhausted. She smiled, remembering the experience she'd just had. She'd worn a dress, the only one she owned. Alek had picked her up at the ungodly hour of 6 am, and they'd spent a blissful day just wandering around the streets of London together. It had only been a mere day, but whenever Deryn was with Alek time just slowed down. She re-fell in love with him every time she saw him. Today had been a fairytale.

2. Glitter in the Air-P!nk

The only sound in the desolate room was the wracking sobs coming from the curled up figure in the corner. Deryn had spent the whole day like this, staring at the phone, waiting for him to call. Jaspert, her mother, and even her aunties had all tried to console her, but to no avail. She had been dishonorably discharged from the Leviathan after Alek had told the captain her secret. Deryn had returned home, distraught. Her best friend, her first love, had betrayed her. She kept waiting for him to do something,anything, call, visit, write. He hadn't.

3. Fortune Cookie- Screeching Weasel

Alek tentatively cracked open his fortune cookie, and retrieved the slip of paper from inside. "What's this thing called again?" he suspiciously asked Newkirk. "Its called a fortune cookie, you ninny." Newkirk grinned wickedly. "They tell your future. "You can never change it. Whats written there is written in the stone."

4. Long Live- Taylor Swift

Deryn would never forget this moment. She'd never get it back. It was the moment she knew. Knew without a shadow of doubt that she loved Aleksander Ferdidand. Knew she would do anything for him, no matter the cost. She would travel to the ends of the earth and back, for him. She would crash through walls. Her love for him could withstand anything. She would move a mountains for him, fight a dragon for him. She took a moment and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply. Exhaling, she opened her eyes. He was staring at worried, "Are you all right Dylan?" He asked. "Aye, fine" she managed, choking over the words. Because she wasn't. He didn't know how she felt. He didn't even know she was a girl. And even if he did, it wouldn't matter. She was a commoner, he was the heir to the Austria-Hungary throne. They would never be.

5. Airplanes-B.O.B

"Make a wish", Lilit told Deryn. "On what?" the middy asked, confused. The pair were sitting on the Leviathan's tail, gazing at the stars overhead. "The airplane!" Lilit said. "Just close your eyes, and pretend." Obligingly, Deryn closed her eyes, thought hard, and made a wish.

6. Cooler than Me - Mike Posner

"You think your so much better than me, don't you! You have fancy clothes, and speak a gajillion languages, and read "literature". Well, your barking princeliness, and you know what? I'm over it. You can go stuff yourself, because I'm an airman in the British Air-service, and I'm going to do exciting things with my life. You'll be stuck in a barking palace all the time, and I'll be off traveling the world, laughing at your misfortune. So ha! I hope you have a nice life, but no matter what mine will be better!" Deryn stormed out of the cabin, leaving the door swinging behind her. Alek stared dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open. All he'd done was ask if Dylan liked his new sunglasses...

6. We Turn It Up- Oh Land

Somewhere, a trumpet was blaring. Alek smiled, basking in the music. All around him, people were rushing to get cover from one of London's frequent and short lived rainstorms. They usually only lasted a few minutes, and most people didn't even bother to carry umbrellas, and just took cover in a nearby shop if they were unlucky enough to be on the street when the rain struck. But not him. He loved the rain.

7. Rumour Has It- Adele

"Ooooh!" Holly squealed, gathering the tiny poodle into her arms. Deryn stared on with loathing, hating everything about Alek's new girlfriend. Right now he was staring at Holly with a sickening expression on his face. Deryn grimaced, feeling her breakfast coming back up. How could he love her? She was a fake. She was way too young for him. And...she wasnt Deryn.

8. Hurricane Streets - Hey Monday

A storm was coming. Rigby could feel in his bones. The Leviathan was strong enough. He reassured himself, but he knew it wasn't true. They would have to hurry, try and outrun it. It didn't matter where they went, anywhere that wasn't here. Time was wasting. Leaves were already flying everywhere, blown off their trees. Rain was pouring down, making visability poor. It didn't matter. Speed up, or get blown over.

9. I Just Wanna Run- The Downtown Fiction

She ran. Ran and ran and ran. Tears poured down her face, but she didn't pause to wipe them off. Deryn had no idea where she was, nor where she was going. It didn't matter. She'd run a thousand miles if she had to. Anything to escape the look on his face when she'd told Alek she loved him, anything to ecape this feeling in her heart, the pain she felt.

10. Eyes - Peter Bjorn and the John

Her eyes. How he not have seen it?. It had been infront of him the whole time. All Alek would have had to do was look into his best friend's eyes, and he would have seen it right away. Known the truth, known how she felt about him...and how he felt about her.


	4. Hurricane!

Author's Note: An extension of #8 in the last chapter, as requested! Alek and Deryn are actually supposed to take refuge from a hurricane on top of the airship in Goliath! Please leave prompts and reviews!

Disclaimer:If I really was Scott Westerfeld, would I be writing fanfics?

A storm was coming. Hobbes could feel in his bones. The Leviathan was strong enough. He reassured himself, but he knew it wasn't true. They would have to hurry, try and outrun it. It didn't matter where they went, anywhere that wasn't here. Time was wasting. Leaves were already flying everywhere. Rain was pouring down, making visibility poor. It didn't matter. Speed up, or get blown over. Shivering, he hurried back down to the Leviathan's deck, and began to bark orders.

Deryn was having an odd day. The atmosphere in the air today seemed different somehow, but there had been no noticeable change on the Leviathan. Dismissing it as just a fanciful thought, she went back to the much hated job of scrubbing the Leviathan's deck.

"I need all hands on deck, now!" Captain Hobbes roared.

She gladly dropped her mop and moved towards Hobbes, but was stopped dead by his next words.

"There's a hurricane coming, and we're going to try and outrun it. Middies, I need you to bring everything not bolted down on the deck to the storerooms. Lieutenants, half of you gather everyone to the storerooms in the east, the other half deal with the beasties. When you're done join everyone else in the east storerooms. I'll be locking the doors in exactly 15 minutes. If you're stuck outside…" Hobbes trailed off, but he didn't need to say anymore.

Everyone scrambled into action, Deryn included, her mind going a million miles a minute. Along with the Newkirk, she grabbed the first unbolted thing she could reach and hastened to the storerooms, doing this until the deck was cleared. Relieved to be done, she hastened to the storerooms. Once there, Deryn immediately scanned the vast room, looking for Alek. Unable to locate him, her heart went cold. She rushed over to a nearby group of Lieutenants and questioned them about his whereabouts. By the time she made her way around the storeroom, it was apparent that Alek and his men weren't there. Frantic, she did the only thing imaginable to her. She flung herself out of the storeroom, ignoring the men's shouts and yells.

Deryn ran around the ship bellowing his name, "Alek! Alek! ALEK!" She found herself at his cabin and threw the door open, to find, thank god, Alek inside.

"Hi Dylan." He greeted her, apparently oblivious to the coming hurricane. "Shouldn't you being walking Tazza?"

Dumbfounded, she stopped, staring at him. "What are you DOING! There's a barking HURRICANE, what in the blazes are you doing IN YOUR CABIN!"

Shocked and confused he leapt to his feet, exclaiming, "THERE'S A HURRICANE?"

"Yes, you barking ninny, now HURRY!" she grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door and along the corridor.

"What do we do? Where do we go? What are we going to do?" Alek questioned, rushing the words.

"There's no time to get to the storerooms, they're too far away, we're going to have to go up!" She answered.

"UP!" Alek exclaimed, "UP WHERE!" thinking his friend had gone crazy.

"To the top of the Leviathan you ninny! Now shut it, and run!"

The pair probably broke a few records in their haste to get to the top of the beastie, and soon enough they were stumbling across the Leviathan's back, winds already gusting around them. Reaching the center, Deryn grabbed at Alek to stop him, and pulled him down. "Hold on and don't let go!" she told him, words barely audible through the roaring wind. Alek stumbled down to her, and the two clutched each other in fear, knowing that this could be their last day on Earth.

They scarcely moved for hours, frozen by the piercing wind and paralyzing fear. When the deafening winds slowed, and then eventually stopped, Alek and Deryn were still there, hair windblown and tangled, frozen with cold, but none the less alive and well, somehow having made it through.

"We-we-we made it." Alek stuttered, still in shock.  
>"Wow." Deryn exhaled. "I really didn't think that would actually work." She added, chuckling.<br>"You what!" Alek cried, "We could have died!"  
>"Aye, maybe, but we <em>obviously<em> didn't. " Deryn replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
>His anger gone, Alek turned to his best friend, "Thank you. Truly."<br>"It was nothing. You'd have done the same for me." She replied.  
>Alek smiled lopsidedly realizing that, "Yeah, I would have."<p> 


	5. Skyscraper

Author's Note: I sincerely apologize for this. It had to be written. I'm sorry.

Deryn leaned her head against the cold hard glass of her window, and watched the rain pour down. For once, the weather matched her mood. The crying sky reflected her tear stained cheeks, almost no difference between them. The smoke from her violent discharge from the Leviathan had long since cleared, but Deryn had not moved on with her life. Alek had stolen her heart and smashed it like it had been made of glass, ripped it up like an unwanted paper. She hadn't spoken since it happened, her vocal cords as diminished as her. She tipped her head back and watched the rain pour down from the heavens, wishing she could fly again, but that once marvelous act had too been stolen away from her. Everything she had once wished for, longed after, prayed for, was gone. Everything. Especially _him. _A single tear dropped from her eye, but Deryn didn't bother wiping it away. She pulled a creased and worn paper from her pocket, and smoothed it out on her leg. She smiled crookedly at it, smiling back at the laughing Alek, hair windswept, not a care in the world. "Why?" Deryn whispered. "Why did you have to go and die…?" Finally succumbing to the inevitable tears, she let them pour unabashed down her face.


	6. It's Happening Again

Alek was hard at work at the engines, frowning a bit as he concentrated. So hard at work that he didn't even notice Deryn's arrival. She paused in the doorway, watching the way the midday sun caught the red highlights in his hair, and the look of fierce concentration on his face. Leaning against the doorframe, she continued watching him, a half smile on her face. He was wearing only a thin shirt and dark pants, showing off his defined muscles earned from hours of laborious work. He still hadn't noticed she was here, so involved in his work.

Count Volger was watching them both, although neither of them knew it. The look on that girl's face reminded him of how Sophie used to look at Franz, that same loving half smile and faraway look in the eyes. The girl made some noise and Alek looked up, noticing her for the first time. His eyes lit up and he broke into a wide grin, engines forgotten. He looked at the girl like Franz had looked at Sophie since from the time he first met her at that ball in Prague, a mixture of a delight and wonderment. Alek rose and they stood there, both grinning at each other senselessly, not wanting to ruin the moment with words.

"Scheiße. Es ist wieder passiert, " he said softly in German, staring at the pair grinning at each other.

Note: I might have an idea for this, but I'm not sure whether to continue. Thoughts?


	7. Country Lane

"Is this everything?" Alek asked Deryn, surveying the eclectic collection of misshapen boxes & furniture cluttering the floor of their brand new cottage. After living in London for more than 4 years, they had both decided they needed to escape from the busy & grimy city and to move out to the country, taking some time off from their work at the London Zoological Society.  
>"I think so." Deryn said. She was crouched over a box of stuff, peering through it. Alek watched her, fixated. A narrow shaft of light lit up her delicate features, making her almost sparkle. Sparkle. She would get pretty pissed if he told her she was sparkling like some girl.<br>"What?" Deryn asked, becoming aware of his unabashed staring. She stood up, brushing dust off her loose pants.  
>Alek grinned, thinking about her sparkling. "Nothing." he said laughingly.<br>"What?" She exclaimed, navigating the maze of boxes to get closer to him.  
>"Nothing!" But Alek was chuckling, ruining the effect he had been going for.<br>"Tell me, you rotten bum rag!" She was in front of him now, and stood cockily, hands on her hips, one eyebrow raised.  
>Alek chortled once more, before swooping her up and kissing her, kicking the still ajar door behind him closed. Deryn wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back for a few blissful seconds, before breaking away and saying, "Now tell me, your princeliness!"<br>Deryn took a small step away from him, tripped over a box, and fell, swearing, onto the dusty wood floor, crushing a box.  
>"Are you okay?" Alek exclaimed, kneeling by her side frantically.<br>"I will be when you tell me what you were laughing about!"  
>Alek groaned.<p> 


End file.
